How many of us can confidently say we don’t reach for our phones first thing in the morning? This goes to show the power of social media. As addictive and controlling it can be, it has been saving lives. With social media, a person gets first-hand information. Just like an uncontrolled fire in the bush that spreads fast, social media is quick to go viral.
Now some people are capitalising on this and using the platforms with is more about social networking to share fake news. As the name implies, fake news is false news. This is why it is important to verify news before digesting. Some information shared is even stale so confirm source and time. The trouble with this is that it can cause outrage, panic, and everything bad.
By nature, humans need to communicate and we do so by disseminating and processing information. The wrong information is costly. Anything people read, see, and hear can trigger the right or wrong emotions. As a creative, content is the fire, social media is the gasoline. In as much as social media can be depressing, it is also a mood booster. Friends and families can stay connected without distance being a barrier. People have found love on social media. Through the platform, people and businesses grew their brands.
Over the past weeks, the social media bill has been trending. It became a topic of discussion after Nollywood actor cum politician, Desmond Elliot was captured on video ‘advocating’ for social media regulation. Of course, this came with a serious lashing from those whom he betrayed their trust- the Nigerian youths. Many disappointed youths find it difficult to marry how a person who claimed to have benefited from that same system was now calling for its regulation.
This controversy unfolded following the aftermath of the End SARS protest. For two weeks or so, Nigerian youths were on the streets calling for an end to police brutality and bad governance. The protest had started peacefully and purposefully, but along the way it got hijacked by hoodlums. This resulted in chaos and unrest. It was the Lekki toll gate shooting that aggravated the issues. The megacity of Lagos suddenly turned to be a ghost of itself. Social media users have to bear the brunt of the rampage. The argument posits they use inciting posts to stir mayhem. So would it be better if social media is regulated? When social media becomes abused, it turns into a vice. If we are going to copy other countries who are regulating social media, how about copying how they run their countries and make the welfare of their citizens a priority.